I Live in the Best Neighborhood in the World

I have used this space and other platforms to sing the praises of my neighborhood.  It is wonderful how often I get to talk up University City at work, as an impressive concentration of knowledge activity, research infrastructure, and innovative start-ups.  I remain eternally grateful that my kids can attend a wonderful and diverse neighborhood school that is a less than five minute walk from our front door.  And we have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to transit options to get to work and play, saving the environment and saving me from the headache of traffic congestion and road rage in the process.




But today's huzzahs are for something far more mundane, which is the brief walk Amy and I take most mornings to drop off Asher at preschool and then catch the subway.  It is five minutes to his school and then another ten to the station.  In that time, we pass by locally owned retail stores, tree-lined streets, and historic rowhouses.  People from all walks of life are all in motion, pushing strollers and riding bikes and catching buses.  There is more than enough hustle and bustle to feel the energy of a city waking up to a new day, but not so much that our senses feel assaulted.

University City, in short, is this magical urban place that more and more people seem to want, and we are lucky to walk through as part of our daily routine.  I don't take for granted that I live in the best neighborhood in the world, and I love that I get to enjoy a little sliver of it almost every morning.